Sanat-Sujata Parva — The speech of Sanat-Sujata

Vaishampayana said Then the high-souled and wise king Dhritarashtra, after having supported the speech made by Vidura, questioned SanatSujata in private, desirous of obtaining the highest knowledge.

Dhritarashtra said O Sanat-Sujata, I hear that in your opinion, death does not exist. The gods and the Asura however practiced austere asceticism for the sake of immortality, Wish of these is true?

Sanat-Sujata said You have asked how death is avoided by certain actions and how it does not exit at all. Listen to me, discoursing on this, and do not be moved by doubts for this (inconsistency).

Both of these (statements) are true; know what is the great death in the opinion of the wise. Ignorance is death. In the same way, I say that there is no death where there is no ignorance.

From ignorance do the Asuras become subject (to death); and from the reverse of ignorance do they attain to the conditions of Brahma. Death does not destroy animals like a tiger; its shape cannot be known.

Current opinion is that Yama is one sort of Death; the wearing out of the soul is said to be another sort; the pursuit of Brahman or selfknowledge is immortality. The god (Yama) rules the region of the Pitris, conferring blessings on the honest and curses on the dishonest.

At his command there is death in the form of anger, ignorance and covetousness among men; out of vanity they follow unrighteous paths; and of them attains selfknowledge.

They stripped of intellect and being subject to vanity and being dead in this world fall into hell repeatedly and to hell they go accompanied by their senses. This sort of death also is known by the name of "death". none

Those, however, who have faith in the fruits of actions, when the time for the fruits comes, go to heaven, without meeting with Death (i.e. they simply transfer their souls elsewhere. Creatures having bodies, however), owing to their incapacity to understand Brahman and owing to their being wedded to earthly enjoyments have come to this world again and again, in all directions (i.e. sometimes they are born in the same position as before, at other times they are born higher or lower according to the effects of their work).

Man has a natural inclination towards objects that are unreal; and this inclination cause the senses to be led into very grave errors. The inner soul, directed towards objects that are unreal and remembering only the objects in which it was employed, worships only the enjoyments, by which it is surrounded.

The remembrance of earthy enjoyments is the first cause of death to men; afterwards come desire (to have those enjoyments) and anger (at the failure to have enjoyments from or other). These (i.e. the remembrance of enjoyments, desire and anger) cause death to be met with by boys (men of little sense); but those that have successes in controlling their souls cross over death unharmed by means of their self-restraint.

some cause He who has succeeded in controlling his soul, having an eye on himself kills (keeps away from) his soaring desires regarding them as not worth having by means of his selfknowledge. The (real) Death assuming the form of death (as known to the people in general) cannot destroy that learned man who controls his desires in this way.

A man who follows his desires is destroyed soon after the desires (are destroyed). The man, however, who can control his desires can keep away from woes in whatever form they come.

Desire appears to be ignorance, darkness and hell of all creatures (for when they follow desire, they loose all control over their senses). Persons following desire run on like intoxicated men towards the drains and holes of this life.

What can death do in this world to a person, whose habits of life are not led by desire. Death is to him like a tiger made of straw. Therefore, for the destruction of the cause of the life (existence) of desire, (which means ignorance) every wish is to be disregarded; and the slightest one is not to be given a place in the mind even.

That inner soul exists in your body, wedded to wrath and desire as it is like death; and knowing that death is generated in this way, the person who puts his faith in knowledge is not afraid of death. Death itself is destroyed when it comes under the influence of knowledge, even as earthly beings are destroyed when they come under the influence of death.

Dhritarashtra said The blessed regions, highly sacred and eternal, to which, it is said, the twice-born can go by the performance of sacrificial ceremonies, are declared by the Vedas of offer emancipation to mortals. Having got this knowledge why should not learned man engage in acts in this world.

Sanat-Sujata said He that is not learned goes there, (to those blessed regions) by this means (performance of sacrificial ceremonies) and the Vedas say that in those regions are to be attained the true objects of life. He that has renounced all desires gains emancipation at once; but he who confuses the material body with the soul, if he can renounce desire, obtains emancipation but if emancipation is sought without the renunciation of desires, then must one proceed step by step along the path, killing it (the path) by itself (i.e. when a particular grade has been attained, the path already crossed over must be killed; or the chances of his retracing the steps being once more degraded must be removed).

Dhritarashtra said Who is he that induces action into the Ancient Being without birth? If it is He who has pervaded everything, what can be His action or His happiness? O learned Being, speak to me about all this truly.

Sanat-Sujata said There is great inconsistency in the complete identification of things that are essentially different. Creatures comes into existence by the union of the Supreme Soul with certain conditions of time, place, etc., that have no beginning. The fact of such being the case in no way lessens the importance or supremacy of Him (the unborn and ancient one) in the slightest degree. Men, too, come into existence by the union of Him that has no beginning (with certain conditions of time, place, etc.).

The Supreme Being by his constant transformation creates this universe; the Vedas make it plain that the Supreme Being possesses the power (of constant transformation) and that He is the cause of transformation in this world.

Dhritarashtra said Some there are in this world who practice virtue and some that do not practice virtue but renounce all sorts of actions. (Regarding the former I ask) Is virtue destroyed by unrighteousness or does righteousness destroy virtue?

Sanat-Sujata said The fruits of virtue and also those of the other (complete inaction), both of these are of use that respect (for obtaining emancipation).

Both are of use in obtaining emancipation. The wise man, however, is successful (in obtaining it) be means of knowledge. In other case, the man, who ascribes an undue importance to the body, acquires the merit of his actions (and hence also emancipation); but having obtained emancipation falls therefrom.

Having acquired both (i.e. the fruits of virtue and vice) which have an end (men of action attains heaven or hell for a limited time only), men of action again come into this world and become attached to actions by reasons of their previous virtue of vice. A wise man neutralizes the effects of his sinful acts by his virtues. Virtue is strong and hence his emancipation.

Dhritarashtra said Those ancient and sacred regions of this „rn by their own virtuous acts-speak of them according to their degree (of sacredness). Speak also of other (sinless) regions. O learned one, I do not desire to know (the merit) of actions.

Sanat-Sujata said These Brahmanas, who are proud of their austerities like powerful men of strength, on their exit from the world shine in the eternal regions.

Those who are proud of their virtuous acts acquire the merit of having performed sacrificial ceremonies-such blessed persons freed from this world go to heaven, the abode of the gods.

Due performance of these (sacrificial ceremonies) again is said to be compulsory by some persons having a knowledge of the Vcdas; but such persons should not be thought very highly of for, through seeking the truth of inner self, they put undue importance to eternal forins.

Whenever (in whatever family) food and drink fit for a Brahmana abound like grass and reeds in the spots, there should (a Yogi) go for his living and not pain himself (by hunger and thirst).

In a place where there is fear of great danger for not proclamation one's superiority, he who does not do so (speak out his superiority) is worthier than the other (who does).

He who is not pained by another proclaiming his (the latter) true worth and who eats his food after offering it to the gods, the food offered by such a man is approved by the righteous.

As dogs eat up their own vomit to their constant injury, so they who proclaim their own worth eat up their own vomit.

That man is to be regarded as a Brahmana whose religious practices remain ever unknown even to the members of his family among whom he lives, wise men also know him to be a Brahmana.

What other Brahmana is worthy to know the supreme soul, that has no form, is without change, is alone and is devoid of all sorts of duality. By the performance of such practices, the supreme soul resides in a Kshatriya too and is seen by him.

He who considers that heaven is attainable by actions alone and so employs himself in action, what sin is not committed by that thief who robs the soul (of its true attributes)?

He who never exerts himself, never accepts gifts from others, who is respected quiet, who though well versed (in the holy books) does not seem to be well versed, is a Brahmana-a wise man knowing Brahman or the Supreme soul.

Those, who are but poor in what is regarded as wealth by ordinary men, are yet rich in heavenly wealth and in devotion and become hard to vanquish and without fear reside and they become equal to Brahma for their learning.

That man, who in this world having performed all sorts of sacrifices comes to know the gods, cannot be equal to one knowing Brahma; for he (the former) has to exert himself.

He, who is honoured (by the gods) without any action, is honoured (like one knowing the true nature of the inner self). If honoured (by others than gods) a man should not think himself really honoured; and he should not be sorry at others not honouring him.

People follow their natural inclinations in the same way as they close or open their eyelids; and the man that is respected should consider that it is the learned only in this world that respect others.

Those wretches again in this world who are adepts at unrighteousness and at deceit do not respect those that are worthy of respect. On the contrary, they insult those who ought to be respected.

The esteem of the world and the vow of silence (holy asceticism) can never dwell together. Know that this (world) is for those who want esteem and the other for those that have observed the vow of silence.

In this world, respect resides in worldly prosperity, through it is an impediment to virtue. Heavenly prosperity is not attainable by one that is devoid of (true) wisdom, O Kshatriya.

Virtuous men speak of several doors in this world to heavenly prosperity, which are difficult of being properly watched. The doors are truthfulness, kindness, modesty, selfcontrol and knowledge which are antidotes of ignorance.